Sunday, November 29, 2009

I love to cook but there are days when cooking seems more like a chore than being a fun activity... That is why I was really pleased to have discovered Century's Gourmet Bangus! The Bangus comes in two flavors - Spanish Style and with Tausi. Who said that a yummy and healthy meal takes hours to prepare? My family and I loved the bangus so much that we made sure that we had enough stock just in case we have those lazy to cook moments again :)

The canned Bangus comes in an easy open can - which is perfect especially when you plan to eat it somewhere else aside from home where a can opener is not always accessible. Between the two flavors, my personal favorite is the Spanish Style. The Bangus and the spicy sauce is perfect for me! In fact, I like it so much that I have been taking a few cans with me as baon when I travel. haha! I really love that it's so convenient for you to enjoy it anywhere!Here is my cat next to my luggage. I think he knows that there are 10 cans of yummy Century Bangus inside :D You can enjoy it in the province as well as in the city :)and of course, at the beach!

Saturday, November 28, 2009

I received the news about the Joseph Candare case in my e-mail today. Sad :(

* * *UP TRIBUNAL DECISION: STOMPING A KITTEN TO DEATH IN UP ISNOT “MISCONDUCT”

To the great disappointment and shock of animal welfareadvocates, the UP Student Disciplinary Tribunal in itstwo-page decision dated November 5, 2009 dismissed the casefiled against Joseph Carlo Candare, a BS Physics majorof the UP College of Science for allegedly deliberatelystomping a kitten to death last April 13, 2009.

Candare earned the ire of many animal lovers, andconsequently, many animal rights groups for bragging aboutthe incident on his personal log on the world wide web (weblog or “blog”).

Excerpts from the infamous blog are as follows:“I pulled it on its tail and threw it. Then like some prowrestler I jumped on it and my feet landed on it's torso.Slam! Felt good!”

“This isn't the first time I've killed a cat but thistime it's different. It didn't occur to me back then thatthe cat had a leash. So I think somebody owns it. Well it'svery well loved in NIP from what I heard and I just endedit's life. So there you go I'm sorry. And I wont be strikinganother one for maybe about a month.”

Questions about Candare’s state of mind cropped up whenblog-readers came across these statements from the 19-yearold student:“It feels good when your (sic) beating it(a cat) up but yousuddenly feel something strange when it turns offpermanently. That's how I feel right now. And maybe for thenext days. Dang, am I a cat serial killer?”

“It is alarming when a prestigious university declares that there is“no misconduct” in killing a helpless kitten in plainview of fellow students right within the school premises,”said Nancy Cu-unjieng, President of Compassion andResponsibility for Animals or CARA, the animal welfareorganization that filed the instant complaint before the UPTribunal.

Anna Cabrera, Program Director of The Philippine AnimalWelfare Society (PAWS), agreed that the dismissal was “adangerous precedent for a university to make”.

In a statement to the press, PAWS said: “The violence anddeliberateness of the act which should have evoked outragefrom school officials and a call for immediate disciplinaryaction was instead met with a shrug of the shoulders and apronouncement that ‘killing animals – though it is anational crime – is, as ‘not even classified as anactionable misconduct under the university’s Rules.’”

“What message is the Tribunal sending out? Basically, itis implied that students can openly hurt animals and notface any consequences for their actions. We think that it isdeplorable and shameful for an institution not to stronglycondemn acts of animal cruelty,” commented Cabrera.

The three-member UP Tribunal composed of Ma. CrisantaFlores, Ma. Theresa Payongayong and Chairman Jonathan P.Sale stated in its Resolution that: While “it istrue that Section 1 of the (Rules and Regulations on StudentConduct and Discipline) RRSCD states that, as the basis ofdiscipline, ‘ a student shall at all times observe thelaws of the land..’ and that part of the law of the landis Republic Act No. 8485 (the Animal Welfare Act), Section 6of which makes it unlawful for anyone to torture or maltreatanimals; and that Mr. Candare did to the kitten clearlyconstitutes maltreatment , if not outright torture... notall violations of laws are actionable misconducts.”

“Candare’s actions – deplorable though they may seemto some, if not most, people, do not constitute anymisconduct actionable under University rules.”

Violation of the Animal Welfare Act is considered acriminal act punishable with six months up to twoyears imprisonment or a fine ranging from P1000 to P5000.

While recorded prosecutions under this special law havebeen few since its approval in 1998, PAWS, who spearheadedthe lobbying of the said law, is slowly making headway byhelping an increasing number of ordinary citizens file casesagainst animal offenders in Court.

PAWS filed a criminal case against Candare before the QCHall of Justice where the case is for resolution at the QCProsecutor’s Office.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

A few days after KaEskwela decided to wrap up its relief operations for the year, we got another urgent plea for help from Binan, Laguna. This time, the request came from Malaban East Elementary School, a smaller school situated near our previous beneficiary, Malaban Elementary School.

Here is an excerpt from their letter to us (translated from Filipino):photos by Principal Rowena Ramos

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Due to floods brought about by the typhoon, the residents of Dulong Ilaya in Malaban had to leave their homes and temporarily take shelter at the Malaban East Elementary School.

This forced us to find a place where we can hold classes. By the grace of God, the Lakeview Baptist Church opened their doors to our students.

We started holding classes there on Oct. 12.

Even though the place is too crowded and hot, the children continue to attend school. They come, even though most of them have to go barefoot and have no schoolbags, pencils or paper. Most have few clothes left to wear, and are in dire need of hygiene items such as toothbrushes, face towels, soaps and other necessities.

Since their parents cannot provide them with school supplies, most of our students scavenge in garbage dumps for things they can sell, or carry heavy goods in the local market. They also use the small amount they earn to buy additional food every day. These working children frequently miss their classes.

Most of the parents of our students are tricycle drivers. Their livelihood is on hold as the streets are still flooded. Even small fishpens were destroyed by strong winds.

We are just starting to rebuild our lives. We hope to find people with kind hearts who can help address our students' needs.

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KaEskwela and Malaban East Elementary School need your help. Donations in cash or in kind will go a long way for these people who have lost almost everything they have.

If you wish to help, please email kaeskwelavolunteers @yahoo.com or text 0917-5363224. We hope to be able to bring donations to these children by Dec. 6.

Please feel free to forward this to your friends, or repost in your blogs or FaceBook/ Multiply accounts.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

I accompanied my mom on a client call to Tagaytay a couple of months ago. We were there to deliver and install paintings. It's really amazing how artworks can change the look of your home :)

We headed to the T House right after for more installations and of course lunch! It was my first time to visit this lovely bed and breakfast and I was not disappointed. The place looks really nice and peaceful. Just perfect if you need to relax and recharge! Lunch was great too. We had the tuna citrus salad, clam & anchovy pasta and vegetable lasagna. Yum :)

Monday, November 9, 2009

"There are approximately 60,000 hairs per square inch on the back of a cat and about 120,000 per square inch on its underside." - taken from The Cat's Meow

I am really thankful that I have no Asthma or allergy to fur because our chair has been officially "Nuggefied!" I was a bit surprised to see this much fur... I mean, the seat is almost orange! I had to peel the lint roller 8 times to remove all the fur :)

look at that fur! I didn't notice it until I pulled "nugget's chair" out. They are usually tucked under the dining table.It was me!please don't clean my chair yetand I'm out of here.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

This has got to be the longest and most tiring week of the year for me. Aside from juggling 4 online jobs that have rush projects (but I am very thankful!), I am also busy helping the KaEskwela team prepare for our mission to Malaban Elementary school tomorrow. Actually, I don't think I will be sleeping tonight because meet up is at 6am and I still have a lot of work to finish. I'm not complaining though. I mean, physically I am very tired right now but I am too happy thinking about all the wonderful acts of kindness that we have been receiving to concentrate on that. I just hope that things go well tomorrow! *fingers crossed*

Sunday, November 1, 2009

No candies and costumes this year for us but here is a Halloween photo of Nugget (he was still thin here!) taken 3 years ago. We decided that he was going to be our pumpkin so we stuck black felt paper on his back. He wasn't too pleased with the idea so the whole pumpkin look only lasted for a few minutes :) haha!